


You Don't Know What's In Store

by ladyshmelton



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: First Kiss, Gay Disaster Alec Lightwood, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Is A Freewheeling Bisexual, Mild Hurt/Comfort, POV Magnus Bane, mentions of one night stands, perfume commercial AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24817279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyshmelton/pseuds/ladyshmelton
Summary: Chanel decided to buck tradition with their new cologne campaign. About time, in Magnus’s humble opinion. It is 2020, after all. About time they add some variety into who appears in their commercials. This go-around, they are doing a male-male shoot for their new men’s fragrance, Pride. While Magnus has shot plenty of commercials with male counterparts, he has never shot a fragrance commercial that pushed the LGBTQ+ agenda. A risky move, of course, but Chanel has worked to branch out of their stuffy old women vibes in the past few years. Magnus applauds them for this effort. He may even stoop to wearing a fragrance that he modeled.
Relationships: Isabelle Lightwood/Lydia Branwell (mentioned), Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 10
Kudos: 89





	You Don't Know What's In Store

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hi hello!  
> Here's a perfume commercial au that no one asked for but I couldn't get it out of my head.
> 
> I'd like to thank the sprint channel on the MALEC Discord server for giving me motivation to write this in three days. Also the songs "The Hills" and "High For This" both by The Weekend. (In case you were wondering there is an entire playlist on Spotify dedicated to songs from perfume commercials.) You guys are da real MVPs.
> 
> I have no clue how the modeling business works (outside of watching America's Next Top Model obsessively when I was younger) nor do I hold any knowledge on perfume campaigns. Please forgive any egregious errors within those realms. Otherwise, enjoy!

The penthouse pool glitters in the late afternoon late. The set crew hustles about, setting up mini lights hidden beneath the dark metal banister and potted plants in the corner. The official cameramen (two and counting, though Magnus doubts they will have more than five) argue over angles and moon exposure. Lounging on the chaise just inside, Magnus watches the chaos with a smirk painted across his face.

Chanel decided to buck tradition with their new cologne campaign. _About time_ , in Magnus’s humble opinion. It is 2020, after all. About time they add some variety into who appears in their commercials. This go-around, they are doing a male-male shoot for their new men’s fragrance, _Pride_. While Magnus has shot plenty of commercials with male counterparts, he has never shot a fragrance commercial that pushed the LGBTQ+ agenda. A risky move, of course, but Chanel has worked to branch out of their stuffy old women vibes in the past few years. Magnus applauds them for this effort. He may even stoop to wearing a fragrance that he modeled. Despite their prolific commercials and ads, Magnus despises fragrance commercials. The actors and actresses rarely succeed in delivering the intimacy that the commercials push on them. Nonetheless, he felt compelled to join this shoot to help put a bisexual face to their commercial and agenda. An added bonus: Lydia Branwell, the director for the shoot (and a good friend of his), prioritized hiring crew members that were open with their LGBTQ+ status.

A crash sounds from somewhere near the kitchen of the model penthouse. Magnus rolls his eyes and unfolds himself from the chaise. The shoot is set to start once full darkness settles around New York City. Because Lilith-forbid fragrance commercials be shot in the daylight hours. Due to the late nature of this shoot, food and drinks were provided. Magnus huffs to himself and makes his way toward the kitchen. A hodgepodge of food spreads across the marble island; near the fridge rests a little DIY cocktail station, one that Magnus already pilfered. The martini glass – now mostly empty – dangles from his fingertips as he eyes the cause of all the ruckus.

Simon, the newest intern for Lydia’s team, scrambles around the floor, picking up various pieces of broken glass and plates. Standing above him, eyes wide and confused, stands a man Magnus has never seen before. And he would remember seeing this gorgeous specimen of a human being. His eyes shine a clear hazel, dulled only slightly by his confusion. Dark hair sits in an messy mop atop his head, while gorgeous pale skin disappears into a simple black robe that reaches to his knees. Magnus did have a thing for the pale-skinned brunettes. He winks at Rove Boy before addressing Simon.

“Sylvan, what did you do?”

Simon glances up at him, still trying to corral broken glass with his bare hands. “Oh! Magnus! Hi! I uh was trying to put together a plate for the director, you know Lydia, and I wasn’t watching where I was going and totally collided with Alec and dropped everything but thank goodness there wasn’t food on the plate yet because I was going to get the drink ready first because that’s how my director back in LA liked it and I got really good at it so I figured maybe –”

“Alright, thank you, Seymour. Why don’t you go grab the broom from the pantry before you cut yourself? As for Lydia’s drink, she only drinks water on set.”

Sime bounds to his feet. “Oh, that’s a great idea! Thank you Magnus, you know I have no clue how to make drinks, even though my friend Maia tried teaching me because she works at a bar and says that every good intern should know how to make his boss a drink but I have never been good with cocktails because the shaker always slips out of my hands and—”

Magnus holds up a hand, effectively cutting off Simon’s rambling. He points in the direction of the pantry. Simon snaps his mouth shut, salutes awkwardly, then hurries off to find the broom. Magnus and _Alec_ , apparently, stand in silence for a moment before he reaches out a hand. “I’m Magnus Bane. Alec, is it? Short for Alexander, perhaps?”

The other man opens his mouth, but no sounds come out. He quickly snaps it shut and takes Magnus’s hand. He gives it a short shake and nods soundlessly.

Magnus’s smirk returns. _A shy one. This will be fun_. “So, Alexander, are you my model companion for tonight’s shoot?” Another soundless nod. Magnus takes a sip of his cocktail. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Alec scan him head to toe. Despite his eyes being averted, he doesn’t feel Alec checking him out. Many of his past lovers fell into this snare (leading them to become his lovers int he first place). Magnus chalks it up to the other man’s blatant shyness and tries a different tactic. “Tell me, darling, how did Chanel come by a beauty such as yourself? Have you modeled before?”

This time, a stuttering noise erupts when Alec opens his mouth. His eyes widen further, and a blush begins to spread across his face. Magnus watches its progress with fascination. After clearing his throat, Alec tries again.

“I, uh, I’ve never m-modeled before. My sister is dat—um, knows Lydia. When the other model got sick, Izzy asked me to t-try it out. So here I am.”

“Here you are indeed,” Magnus purrs. “If you have never modeled before, you must be a bit nervous. Would you like a drink? They do wonders for the nerves.”

Alec shakes his head once. “N-no, I don’t really…drink, all that much.”

Magnus nods. “I don’t either at shoots. Just one to help me loosen up and center myself. No one wants a drunk model during a shoot. But outside of work, if you ever decide you would like to explore, I would be happy to help you explore.”

The blush reaches Alec’s neck and begins its descent. The poor man stutters out a few nonsense syllables before Simon suddenly rushes in, broom in hand.

“That was such a cool pantry! But it was also really hard to find because you know how the pantry should be connected to the kitchen, well this one wasn’t because this pantry used to be a storage closet which they must have converted into a pantry except there’s no food in there because it’s a model penthouse of course but anyway I know it isn’t a storage closet anymore because they put a few random kitchen items in there to show that it’s a pantry now and –”

“Simon, please shut up.”

Magnus laughs at the stunned look on Simon’s face. Alec holds his ground, one eyebrow lifted. Simon grins sheepishly.

“Sherwin, don’t forget Lydia’s bottle of water. That should also prevent you from dropping any more fragile glasses. Now, if you will please excuse us, Alexander and I need to prepare for our photo shoot.” Taking Alec’s hand, Magnus tugs him from the kitchen toward the master bedroom. Hair and makeup would have set up in the luxurious master bathroom.

“Thank you,” Alec mutters.

“No thanks needed, darling. While Stephen means well, he can be a bit much. Now, did your wonderful sister walk you through the process of hair and makeup?”

“I have to wear _makeup_?”

Magnus scoffs at the traces of horror in Alec’s voice. “It won’t bite you. It helps maintain your facial structure under the horrendous lighting that is moonlight. Even one as gorgeous and prominent as yours will need a bit of help under that lighting. Surely your lovely sister explained at least _some_ of the process to you?”

“She told me I would be wearing underwear and playing in a pool with another man,” Alec deadpans.

An undignified snort leaves Magnus without his permission. “Well, she wasn’t wrong,” he chuckles. “You will be doing all of those things. However, a bit more goes into the preparation process. The eyes need to be highlighted, especially during the night; the skin needs to be evened out; hair needs to ensure it has a natural flow to it, even if that flow disappears later in the pool; sometimes the clothes need to be fitted a touch more or need to be taped so they don’t move, but we won’t have to worry about that.” Magnus shoots Alec a smirk. The blush (which had started to dissipate) returns in full force.

Sure enough, hair and makeup commandeered the entirety of the master bath. Two different chairs were set up under the bright lights of the vanity. Lily Chen, makeup master for most of Chanel’s shoots and proudly demisexual, spots Magnus immediately despite the controlled chaos within the room.

“About time you showed up!” she berates him. Her hands latch onto his arms and drag him towards one of the chairs. “The shoot may not start for at least another hour, but you know how Lydia likes to have everyone ready and waiting in the wings. God forbid we waste even a _moment_ of moonlight under her watch. Sit, we need to get started.”

Magnus reclines in his chair, at home amidst the flurry of make ups sponges, brushes, and palettes. Peeking a glance at Alec, he notices the rigidness of the other man’s shoulders. His eyes are squeezed shut despite the poor makeup artist coaxing him to open them slightly for the foundation that needs to go beneath his lower lashes. Protectiveness overwhelms the desire coursing through him. _Left to the wolves_ , he realizes. Dear Alexander had demonstrated his depth of love for his sister by doing this shoot for her girlfriend and in return was left to fend for himself. Did Lydia even acknowledge him before Magnus had stumbled upon him in the kitchen? While she was a bright young woman with a promising future, she tended to lose herself in the more minute details of her work. In the handful of shoots Magnus had completed with her, she would only realize he was there when he stepped in front of her to receive instructions for his role. Alec may have arrived, only to be thrust into a spare room to change and then left to his own devices.

“Lily, darling, I know we’re on a time crunch, but can you give me and Alexander the room for a few?”

The woman huffs at him, but easily acquiesces. The artists all leave in a hurry, eager to get the distraction over with so they can return to work. Once the room clears out, Magnus reaches for Alec’s hand. Their chairs sit close enough that he can just grasp the other man’s hand with a bit of stretching. The trembling of those pale fingers causes his heart to clench in his chest. “Alexander, can you open your eyes?”

Alec nods stiffly and peels his eyes open. He keeps them focused on the cabinets beneath the sink in front of his chair. Magnus wonders which he is avoiding: the mirror or the makeup.

“Good, thank you, darling. Now, do you think you can look at me?”

Slowly, Alec twists in his seat until his entire upper body faces Magnus. He lifts his eyes to meet Magnus’s. There’s embarrassment, mixing with guilt, but what stops Magnus is the hints of pain evident in not only his eyes, but the tight press of his lips and the tension that remains throughout his body. Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Magnus isn’t surprised to discover he still finds Alexander utterly gorgeous. The soulfulness of his eyes capture his heart. _The eyes really are the window to the_ soul, he muses idly.

“Good. You’re doing so good darling.” Magnus rubs his thumb across the back of Alec’s hand, offering comfort through the small touch. “Do you think you can tell me what happened?”

He shrugs, eyes leaving Magnus’s face to return to the ground. Magnus hums. He can’t blame Alec for not sharing; they did just meet barely ten minutes ago. Yet something is clearly troubling the quiet man. Remembering his earlier tactic, he decides to try a different approach.

“When I first started modeling, no one knew what to do with my love for makeup.” Magnus stands from his chair and goes to lean against the sink in front of Alec. He maintains a solid grip on his hand. “Male models wear makeup for shoots, of course, but so few of them also choose to wear it in their everyday life. Despite what some in society claim, not all male models are gay. Most are glaringly straight and wouldn’t know a foundation brush from an eye shadow brush. However, I had dabbled in makeup for years before I ever became a model. I showed up to my first shoot with my full face of makeup. The poor makeup artists spent twenty minutes wiping me down before they could begin anew. I delayed the entire shoot and very nearly cost us the light for the event.”

Alec winces in sympathy. Some of the tension seeps from his shoulders.

Magnus pauses. He purposefully leaves out the vicious comments some of the cameramen muttered to him in between resetting each scene. If he lingers too long, he can hear the hate behind the words. Magnus continues. “You see, no one had bothered to tell me that you need to arrive barefaced to a shoot. You never know what the director will want for the aesthetic. While most shoots tend to be relatively normal, like our shoot today, some fall into the more…outrageous category. One of my early shoots involved each model being painted head to toe in rainforest themes. Flora and fauna alike adorned every inch of my body. I had vines in a few _interesting_ places.” He winks. Alec blushes again but a small smile peeks through his endearing embarrassment. Magnus mentally pats himself on the back. “Clearly your dear sister did not prepare you for the specifics of modeling, so I’ll give you the crash course version. Today’s shoot is quite tame. We will remain in these black briefs for the entirety of the shoot. Nothing too out of the ordinary for our makeup. When Lily and her team return, they will work on evening out our facial skin, but the rest of our bodies will remain untouched. Lydia prefers the look of a ‘natural’ man for her shoots. There may be some eyeliner and mascara to help highlight our eyes due to the shadowy nature of nighttime shoots, but that is it. Does all of that make sense?”

Alec nods. His shoulders are slumped, drained of all tension. The fingers still clasped in Magnus’s hand have quit trembling. “Thank you,” he murmurs lowly. “I don’t…usually react like that. To anything. I…don’t really know what happened.”

“You are quite welcome, darling. You were thrown into a new situation with no background knowledge and were told to figure it out on the fly. It’s only natural that you panicked a bit.” Magnus squeezes Alec’s fingers. “Do you want to talk about it now? You don’t have to, of course.”

A pause. Alec bites his bottom lip, clearly debating his next course of action. Just as Magnus opens his mouth to take it back, he speaks. “I have some…bad experiences in my past. People who didn’t, um, didn’t take the news that the Lightwood children were anything but straight very well. The…words they said haven’t…um, they sort of stuck with me? I don’t always listen to them, but here, surrounded by makeup, they are, uh, stronger. Harder to not listen to.”

Magnus nods and squeezes Alec’s fingers again. Dealing with hate and prejudice just because he likes the wrong gender is something he knows well. However, whereas he quickly developed a thick skin with the ability to offer biting comebacks, Alec took them to heart and allowed them to rip apart his self-worth. He isn’t the first person within the LGBTQ+ family to experience such vitriol and sadly, he won’t be the last either.

“You already proving them all wrong by being brave enough to show up today, Alexander. Whatever they said to you isn’t true in the slightest.”

“You don’t know what they said, Magnus”

“No, but I can imagine. I have had my fair share of horrific comments thrown my way. As I mentioned in my story, makeup has been a regular part of my life since I was very young. Some people don’t react well to a man openly wearing makeup and jewelry, especially while in public settings. While I cannot take away their words, I hope you see that you are far more than the small pieces of you they chose to attack.”

Alec swallows and looks away. They sit quietly in silence for a handful of moments. Magnus loathes breaking the heavy tension, knowing that Alec needs the time to gather himself and reach a tentative peace for the shoot. He speaks up only when he hears the telltale shuffle of feet just outside the doorway.

“I’m proud of you for opening up to a near stranger, Alexander. However, I do believe our hiatus will be rudely interrupted soon. Do you feel like you can continue now?” At his nod, Magnus squeezes his fingers again before releasing them. With any other model he might have made a pass; however, Alec’s mini panic attack cautions him to tread carefully. The rookie model may be ridiculously beautiful, but he needs guidance, not a hookup. For this reason, Magnus benches his feelings for the time being. He stands from the counter and returns to his chair. “Lily! I know you are listening on the other side of that door. We’re ready for you now, dear. But Alexander will need some water.”

The makeup team returns in a whirlwind of sound and motion. Within moments, Magnus and Alec find themselves engulfed in a storm of people. Before his team completely surrounds him, Magnus sends one last reassuring smile at Alec. The small smile he receives in return eases the lingering clench in his heart.

* * *

Nearly forty minutes later, the two models return to the living room. The pool area has been cleared of people, all of whom appear to have descended on the food in the kitchen. Magnus catches Alec’s elbow and steers him toward the pool. They stand in silence, watching the water ripple with the slight wind. The last of the sun’s light drained out of the sky sometime while they were in hair and makeup. The moon reflects off the moving water, setting it in constant motion.

“Boys!” Lydia’s voice rings through the clamor in the kitchen. They turn to face the director of the shoot. Lydia may not have much height, but the authority in her posture and eyes demands attention. She stands in the center of the living room, hands on her hips. “Are we ready to begin? Clouds are supposed to roll in by midnight, so we need to utilize as much light as possible.”

Magnus nods quietly. He feels Alec shift next to him. Lydia briefs them quickly on what she wants from this shoot: one person enters first, dives in, floats quietly, is joined by the other person, sensual swimming together, and end scene. They only have one shot at the dry scenes before the water messes up their hair, but as neither of those require much acting, she isn’t worried.

“Okay. Magnus, I want you entering first. You have the experience; show Alec how it’s done. We’ll go through a dry run before you both enter the pool and ruin your hair. FIVE MINUTES EVERYBODY!” The last part is shouted over her shoulder to the crew in the kitchen. While everyone else begins to mill about in preparation for the shoot, Magnus turns back to Alec.

“Are you ready?” he asks quietly.

“I…think so? I still don’t really know what to expect. I mean, I’ve seen cologne commercials. I know _what to expect_. But at the same time, I…don’t?” Alec rubs his neck sheepishly. “I’m sorry. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Quite the contrary, darling, I think it makes perfect sense. _Seeing_ and _doing_ are vitally different things. I have _seen_ people scale mountains, in documentaries and movies, but that does not mean I plan on climbing Mount Everest anytime soon…or ever, for that matter. Just because you’ve seen fragrance commercials does not mean you have spent time diving elegantly into pools to swim sensually with your model partner.” Magnus touches his bicep gently. “Don’t worry. As Lydia said, we will walk through it a few times to ensure you have the right idea before we _dive in_.” The last part earns him a snort.

“Magnus! Alec! Time to begin the walkthrough.”

Alec immediately tenses. Magnus rubs soothing circles on the bicep he still holds. “Don’t fret. We are doing this step by step, remember? They won’t start shooting until Lydia gives the go-ahead.” Alec nods slightly but doesn’t relax. Magnus steps away and turns to face the open doors to the pool. He pauses just inside the doors and waits. Lydia begins rattling off instructions for how he should move and the mood he needs to encapsulate. He listens with his eyes closed, nodding occasionally to show he is indeed listening. This is his moment to breathe, to slip into his modeling persona.

Lydia falls silent. Magnus breathes in once. Twice. He opens his eyes and lifts a hand to show her he is ready. Somewhere off to his left, music begins to play. He doesn’t recognize it, but he doesn’t have to. All fragrance commercial music provides the same experience: a strong beat, nonsense lyrics, and the opportunity to zone out. He only needs the beat to understand how his movements need to match the vibe it sets. He slips the robe tie loose and allows the robe to drop from his shoulders. As he sways forward, he lifts his arms overhead. He splays his fingers out and up as his arms reach to the sky. Once he reaches the edge of the pool, he stands on his tiptoes as though to swan dive into the rippling water. He holds the pose for a long second.

Lydia yells “Cut!” somewhere behind him. That’s his cue to drop his heels back to the pool deck. Magnus rocks back slightly and breathes out. The powerful persona fades away, tucked away beneath a few bracing breaths. The shoot is not over; in just a matter of minutes, he will need to access it again and slip on that second mask he wears so easily now. Once, he used to struggle through these shoots. He spent years building and honing his aloof, sensual persona. It took him a few years more to learn how to slip it on and off as easily as a second skin. He may have the body control of a natural thanks to his background in dance, but he knows the hard work that goes into building an ideal persona and vibe.

He turns to find chaos ensuing as the cameramen reset. While the first take was a practice run-through (meaning no film was used), the cameras still tracked his movement to ensure they had the proper angle and placement. Magnus stoops to pick up his robe. A large pale hand snags it for him and lifts it to help slip it back around his shoulders. Magnus smiles up Alec.

“Thank you, darling. Do you think you can follow that?” Alec gives a stilted nod. Magnus notes that the blush has returned to the taller man’s face. A smirk pulls at his lips. While Alec remained a perfect gentleman during their interaction in the kitchen, his current blush betrays his wandering eyes during the shoot. Magnus can work with that. “My apologies, darling. We never did get into the discussion of… _what_ helped you succeed in landing this role.”

“Um, huh?”

Magnus chuckles. “You see, nearly everyone here falls within the LGBTQ+ umbrella. Far be it from me to divulge their status, but you already know the lovely Ms. Branwell is dating your sister. As for myself, I enjoy the company of both genders. Though currently I am a bit biased towards one in particular.” He winks.

Alec splutters. Magnus laughs and pats him on the shoulder before sauntering over to Lydia. He does have an inkling of where Alec falls on that spectrum. However, just as he refused to out anyone on the crew, he also refuses to pressure Alec into outing himself. He approaches Lydia with his laugh still fading away. She is speaking before he can ask his questions.

“Yes, that is the song we are going with. No, we can’t change it, we already bought the rights for it. No, you weren’t too much for the first run. If anything, I want you to exaggerate the robe drop even more. Maybe catch it around one wrist and flick it to the side slightly when it falls? If we’re lucky, the breeze will catch it just right and we’ll see a nice shimmer of the fabric before it lands.” She pauses and peeks over his shoulder. “Have you prepared Alec? Isabelle warned me he would be nervous, but neither of us anticipated his mini panic-attack.”

Magnus arches an eyebrow. She couldn’t be bothered to keep an extra eye on her girlfriend’s brother for his first shoot, but she worries about his panic? “Noted. I prepared him for the makeup, but you will need to give him directions for the shoot. He’s never done this before, but I have a feeling he follows directions very well.” Magnus forces himself to keep his eyes forward and focused on Lydia. He can feel the distraction that is Alexander digging beneath his skin. Normally his counterparts are simply that: just another person doing their job. He’s shot commercials with far too many beautiful men and women to feasibly keep track of. Yet Alexander, in all his inexperience and blushing, draws in Magnus. God knows he has the looks for modeling – those soulful hazel eyes, the thick dark hair, skin the color of moonlight – but this feeling goes beyond the man’s gorgeous looks. Their moment in the bathroom gave Alec _depth_. Most models wouldn’t know a complex emotion if it bit them in their barely-clothed ass. Yet Alexander displayed a veritable well of emotion. The things he must have experienced in his younger years to react in such a way –

“ _Magnus_.”

“And I’m back!”

She rolls her eyes at him. “Thank you for rejoining us here in the working world. I asked you if you could walk Alec through his steps, maybe show him how to channel the music?”

“But of course.” He inclines his head before turning on his heel and returning to Alec. “Alright darling. You watched the first run. Apparently, that is the music choice for this commercial.” He scrunches his nose in a show of displeasure. “Questionable music choice aside, that appears to be the first fifteen seconds. When you enter, you will follow much the same pattern, except for you won’t have a robe on. You’ll already be… _on display_ for the cameras.” Magnus sidles closer and presses his hand to Alec’s robed chest. He feels the thunderous beat of Alec’s heart beneath his palm. “Would you like to practice?”

Alec shakes his head rapidly. “N-no, thank you.”

Magnus pushes a little with his palm, pressing Alec back toward the doors. “Are you certain? Practice makes perfect, Alexander. Plus, I would like to see what I’m working with.” He allows his eyes to dip to the tiny patch of chest hair not covered by the robe.

“I’m gay,” Alec blurts. Magnus flicks his eyes up to meet Alec’s. He looks panicked and vaguely sick, as if his declaration was unintentional. Which, given its abruptness, is likely.

“Well, we already established that I am bisexual and find you absolutely beautiful. Given this information, I believe the only question that remains is…do you find me attractive, Alexander?” Magnus means to tease, but a touch of hope leaks into his voice. His dating life stagnated several months ago after an unfortunate… _incident_ involving Camille and a loud Russian man. Dating someone as blunt and open as Alec would be a refreshing change of pace.

The blush on the poor man’s face works its way down his neck to the start of his chest. “Y-yes.”

Magnus hums and drags a finger down Alec’s exposed chest. He smirks up at him before taking a step back. “Then my previous offer stands: tonight, when neither of us is working, we will begin to explore your interest in cocktails.”

“Are you asking me on a… a date?”

“Why yes, I am. What do you say?”

“ _ONE MINUTE!_ Full run this time – clouds now scheduled to arrive any time and kill our moonlight.”

Magnus curses Lydia and her horrific timing. The silver lining: he gets to swim with Alexander. He breaks away from Alec with a wink and moves to his spot by the doors. A handful of seconds later, the music _thumps_ into the night, base turned up significantly from the first run. It pounds through Magnus’s core, allowing him to fall easily into his persona. Swaying forward, he allows the silk robe to catch on his wrist as it falls. He flicks it easily to the side. Before him, the pool shimmers invitingly in the moonlight. He stands at the edge. Heels up. Arms overhead. With a quick breath, he dives easily into the pool.

***

He floats.

The gaze of the cameras rests heavy on his skin. Magnus ignores it. Even with years of practice, he finds it nearly impossible to forget that he isn’t alone in what could be a serene environment. His eyes drift shut, lulled by the sway of the water and the dull echoes of the music. He snaps them open a moment later when a new gaze rakes across his skin. This one is decidedly different than that of the cameras; it _burns_. Magnus allows his body to drop deeper into the water. His head raises and his eyes lock on Alexander just within the doorway. Alec chooses that moment to stride forward. Well, ‘stride’ might not be the correct term. _Stalk_ better suits his focused gait. Magnus’s eyes widen at the sudden transformation: gone is the shy, nervous man who panicked when a makeup sponge touched his face for the first time. This man knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. And in this moment, he wants Magnus.

When he reaches the edge of the pool, Alec stops. He locks eyes with Magnus and raises one eyebrow. Magnus smirks and gently swims backward. The water swirls around him, gentle ripples catching the moonlight. For the first time in his career, he feels out of his element. The professionalism he usually maintains slips, allowing something warm and heady to work its way into his system. He embraces this feeling. If all anything, it should add a new level to their intimacy once Alec joins him in the pool. He one hand out of the water and crooks one finger in the signature ‘come hither’ gesture.

Alec wastes no time in mimicking his earlier swan dive. Magnus’ breath catches when his head breaks the surface. Water flattens his curly hair and streaks down his face, catching in his eyelashes. The angle he’s facing causes the moonlight to bounce off his cheekbones. Shadows hide his eyes, though their heavy gaze remains on Magnus. He is _devastating_. All sense of where they are and what they’re doing fades away. The music fades to a dull _thump_ behind them. Alec swims closer but hesitates a few strokes away. There’s a new uncertainty to his movements. Does he honestly think Magnus could reject him now? Magnus paddles into his space, needing to ease his fears. He swims into Alec’s space, crowding in close to him, stopping just a few inches from Alec’s face.

“Don’t overthink. Just do what feels natural,” he whispers.

“D-does that mean I can kiss you?”

Magnus feels his breath catch again. Suddenly, where they are and what they are supposed to be doing crashes into him _hard_. The weight of the cameras slams back into his skin. They have an _audience_. And as much as Magnus yearns to kiss him, he needs to maintain at least a shred of professionalism. “I would love to. However, darling, we are in the middle of a shoot. Can we raincheck?”

Alec nods. Magnus smirks and presses their foreheads together and gently spins them through the water. He raises his hand to clasp Alec’s neck gently, rushing his fingers through the wet hair plastered to the back of it. Alec lifts a hand to cup Magnus’s cheek. The depth of the pool forces them to keep their legs separate, constantly working to stay afloat. They keep their foreheads pressed together for a few more moments as they revel in the closeness of one another. Magnus loses his sense of time. When did he last feel so comfortable around another model during a shoot, enough to be happy drifting mostly naked in a pool? Magnus smiles at the ease of being around Alec.

“ _Cut!_ Great job, guys. I think we can piece together enough of that to make it our only run And based on the incoming clouds, we’ll have to.”

Lydia’s voice startles them out of their gentle bubble of serenity. Magnus blinks. When had that hotness, that burning _want_ in Alec’s eyes, dissolved into something much softer? They don’t separate immediately, hands still touching necks and faces. Magnus rubs his thumb gently behind Alec’s ear.

“While I do enjoy swimming half-naked with you, what do you say to getting cleaned up and going out for that drink?”

“Um, yes, that would, um, that would be good.”

Magnus laughs at Alec’s return to stuttering after his bold confidence during the shoot. With anyone else, these emotion swings would have given him whiplash. With Alec, he finds joy in seeing what new emotion he can delve into and explore. Speaking of exploring…He takes a quick second to peek to the side; to his delight, Lydia abandoned her post to yell at the set crew lingering near the kitchen. _Caution, meet wind._ “Fantastic! And because you asked so nicely earlier, and I happen to know that Lydia is now yelling at her set crew to start cleaning the rest of the penthouse…” Magnus surges forward and presses his lips to Alec’s. He feels the jerk of surprise go through the other man. A moment later, Alec relaxes into the kiss. Magnus sinks into it, allowing himself to _feel_.

Kissing Alexander (even suddenly, briefly) causes him to realize how long he has gone without a good kiss. His one-night dalliances, if you will, favored the carnal: teeth and tongue and bodies rolling against each other. They did not bother with slow kisses meant to explore and convey emotion. Caught in this moment, kissing Alexander, he discovers how much he missed this. Missed the sweet kisses that convey anything but the burning lust found within the bedroom. Magnus hums softly into their kiss. His hands on Alec tighten slightly, despite no sign of leaving from the other man. Sensing his own desperation, Magnus forces his grip to loosen and slowly pulls away.

Alec’s eyes remain closed. His mouth falls open as he pants slightly. Magnus feels his heartbeat through his grip on his neck. It pounds heavily, matching Magnus’s own racing beat.

“Wow,” Alec murmurs.

Magnus laughs, loud and clear. “A ringing endorsement. Now…” he pulls Alec closer, his lips brushing his ear. “What do you say we get cleaned up and go on that date I promised you?”

Alec nods rapidly. “Y-yeah, that sounds, uh, that. Let’s do that.”

With another pleased laugh, Magnus pushes off of Alec to swim toward the side of the pool. He feels the heat of Alec’s gaze rest heavy on his back. It weighs different than that of the cameras. He enjoys it as opposed to the wearisome weight of the cameras. Before he lifts himself out of the pool, he sends a smirk out of the pool toward Alec. That, finally, spurs the other man into action. Magnus smiles to himself as he pulls himself out of the pool.

_Maybe fragrance commercials aren’t that bad after all._


End file.
